Jowar & Paneer Chillas with Spicy Green Chutney by Trusha Shah

(Healthy Milo & Cottage Cheese Pancakes with Spicy Cilantro Dip)

After reading about the nutritive qualities of milo (Jowar) in my local daily newspaper, I immediately ordered some jowar flour from the local grocery. Jowar is very high in phosphorous content which, along with calcium, form essential part of our teeth and bones. It is also present in all our body cells, and is essential in helping the body release energy by breaking down food and “burning” the fats and sugars, influencing the functioning of our hearts and kidneys, and forming a part in the proteins responsible for cell growth and heredity.

 I was trying to think of different ways of using the jowar flour in my recipe, instead of simply making jowar bhakhri, which is the most common way of consuming jowar in the state of Maharashtra in India. That’s when I thought of making these pancakes. I have also added cottage cheese or paneer to make them extremely soft & more nutritive. Paneer also adds up to the protein and calcium content of the whole dish, not to mention the rich taste. You may even add grated lauki or bottle gourd to make it even healthier. You may create the batter well in advance and cook when your guests arrive. These pan cakes come out to be soft and fluffy and taste best when eaten freshly cooked. I hope you enjoy the taste and the nutrition of the dish.

Ingredients

For Pancakes or Chillas

1 cup Jowar or Milo Flour (available easily in local grocery store)

½ cup Rice flour

½ cup Urad dal or split black gram flour (Can be avoided if not available)

½ Rava or Suji or semolina

3-4 Spring onions, both whites & greens finely chopped

½ cup Paneer or Cottage cheese, grated

1 tbsp Green chillies, finely chopped

2 tbsp Curds

Salt, to taste

Water for batter

1 tbsp oil for cooking

For tempering

1 tbsp Oil

2 tsp Jeera or cumin seeds

Pinch of hing or asafoetida

1 tbsp Cashew nuts, chopped

1 tsp Black til or sesame seeds

1 tbsp Curry leaves, chopped 

Method

In a medium sized mixing bowl, add jowar flour, rice flour, urad dal flour, rava, paneer, spring onions, green chillies, curds & salt. Add water to make the batter of coating consistency (which means it should coat your spoon or ladle). It should not be too watery else your batter will spread unevenly on the pan. Rest for 10 to 15 minutes.

In a small pan, add oil for tempering. When oil is slightly heated, add cashew nuts and fry continuously for 10 seconds. Now add jeera & sesame seeds and stir till they crackle. Add asafoetida and finally add curry leaves. Add the tempering to the batter immediately.  This process has to be very quick, while stirring continuously, else the cashew nuts may burn. Mix well.

Heat a broad non-stick pan and brush with very little oil. To the pan, add batter in small rounds and spread lightly.  Cook on medium flame till brown on one side. Sprinkle very little oil on the top of pancakes and turn carefully. Cook till brown on other side too.

In the serving plate, place pancakes, topped with green chutney & some grated paneer. Serve immediately! This recipe has loads of nutrients and minimum calories! Eat guilt free and enjoy alone or with your favourite soup.

Recipe by Trusha Shah (Ex-MasterChef India 2 Contestant )